The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved Johnson and Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, adding a third vaccine to its list of approved vaccines. The approval came after clinical trials found the vaccine to be safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. In this article, we will discuss the approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine by the World Health Organization and its advantages, including its single-dose requirement, normal refrigeration storage, and high effectiveness against COVID-19 and its variants. The piece also explores how the vaccine’s approval could be a game-changer in the global fight against the pandemic.
Advantages of the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
One of the main advantages of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is that only one dose is required, unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses. This facilitates administration and distribution, especially in areas with limited healthcare infrastructure.
Another advantage of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is that it can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures for ease of transport and storage. This differs from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which requires very cold storage and transportation.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine uses a different technology than the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, both of which use Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine uses a modified adenovirus vector that carries the genetic instructions for a spike protein on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. After injection, the vaccine creates an immune response to the virus in the body’s immune system.
In clinical trials, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was found to be 85% effective in preventing severe cases of COVID-19 and 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death. The vaccine has also been found to be effective against new variants of the virus, including the South African variant.
The approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the WHO is an important step forward in the global fight against COVID-19. With more vaccines available, there is hope that the pandemic will be brought under control and life will return to normal. However, it is important to continue to follow public health guidelines, such as wearing masks and practising social distancing, until enough people are vaccinated.
